diff --git a/OWML.Launcher/App.cs b/OWML.Launcher/App.cs
index d413e4998..7a359523f 100644
--- a/OWML.Launcher/App.cs
+++ b/OWML.Launcher/App.cs
@@ -12,9 +12,8 @@ namespace OWML.Launcher
 {
     public class App
     {
-        private const string Version = "0.3.42";
-
         private readonly IOwmlConfig _owmlConfig;
+        private readonly IModManifest _owmlManifest;
         private readonly IModConsole _writer;
         private readonly IModFinder _modFinder;
         private readonly OutputListener _listener;
@@ -23,10 +22,11 @@ public class App
         private readonly VRPatcher _vrPatcher;
         private readonly CheckVersion _checkVersion;
 
-        public App(IOwmlConfig owmlConfig, IModConsole writer, IModFinder modFinder,
+        public App(IOwmlConfig owmlConfig, IModManifest owmlManifest, IModConsole writer, IModFinder modFinder,
             OutputListener listener, PathFinder pathFinder, OWPatcher owPatcher, VRPatcher vrPatcher, CheckVersion checkVersion)
         {
             _owmlConfig = owmlConfig;
+            _owmlManifest = owmlManifest;
             _writer = writer;
             _modFinder = modFinder;
             _listener = listener;
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ public App(IOwmlConfig owmlConfig, IModConsole writer, IModFinder modFinder,
 
         public void Run(string[] args)
         {
-            _writer.WriteLine($"Started OWML v{Version}");
+            _writer.WriteLine($"Started OWML v{_owmlManifest.Version}");
 
             CheckVersion();
 
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ private void CheckVersion()
                 _writer.WriteLine("Warning: could not check latest OWML version.");
                 return;
             }
-            if (Version == latestVersion)
+            if (_owmlManifest.Version == latestVersion)
             {
                 _writer.WriteLine("OWML is up to date.");
                 return;
@@ -133,7 +133,7 @@ private void ShowModList(IList<IModData> mods)
 
         private bool IsMadeForSameOwmlMajorVersion(IModManifest manifest)
         {
-            var owmlVersionSplit = Version.Split('.');
+            var owmlVersionSplit = _owmlManifest.Version.Split('.');
             var modVersionSplit = manifest.OWMLVersion.Split('.');
             return owmlVersionSplit.Length == modVersionSplit.Length &&
                    owmlVersionSplit[0] == modVersionSplit[0] &&
diff --git a/OWML.Launcher/OWML.Launcher.csproj b/OWML.Launcher/OWML.Launcher.csproj
index a2130a3a3..8e5d1dcd3 100644
--- a/OWML.Launcher/OWML.Launcher.csproj
+++ b/OWML.Launcher/OWML.Launcher.csproj
@@ -59,6 +59,9 @@
   <ItemGroup>
     <None Include="App.config" />
     <None Include="app.manifest" />
+    <None Include="OWML.Manifest.json">
+      <CopyToOutputDirectory>Always</CopyToOutputDirectory>
+    </None>
     <None Include="OWML.Config.json">
       <CopyToOutputDirectory>Always</CopyToOutputDirectory>
     </None>
diff --git a/OWML.Launcher/OWML.Manifest.json b/OWML.Launcher/OWML.Manifest.json
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..dbc15d1b7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/OWML.Launcher/OWML.Manifest.json
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+{
+  "author": "Alek",
+  "name": "OWML",
+  "uniqueName": "Alek.OWML",
+  "version": "0.3.43"
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/OWML.Launcher/Program.cs b/OWML.Launcher/Program.cs
index a059eaa67..05fe13868 100644
--- a/OWML.Launcher/Program.cs
+++ b/OWML.Launcher/Program.cs
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ public class Program
         static void Main(string[] args)
         {
             var owmlConfig = GetOwmlConfig();
+            var owmlManifest = GetOwmlManifest();
             var writer = new OutputWriter();
             var modFinder = new ModFinder(owmlConfig, writer);
             var outputListener = new OutputListener(owmlConfig);
@@ -21,19 +22,29 @@ static void Main(string[] args)
             var owPatcher = new OWPatcher(owmlConfig, writer);
             var vrPatcher = new VRPatcher(owmlConfig, writer);
             var checkVersion = new CheckVersion(writer);
-            var app = new App(owmlConfig, writer, modFinder, outputListener, pathFinder, owPatcher, vrPatcher, checkVersion);
+            var app = new App(owmlConfig, owmlManifest, writer, modFinder, outputListener, pathFinder, owPatcher, vrPatcher, checkVersion);
             app.Run(args);
         }
 
         private static IOwmlConfig GetOwmlConfig()
         {
-            var json = File.ReadAllText("OWML.Config.json")
-                .Replace("\\\\", "/")
-                .Replace("\\", "/");
-            var config = JsonConvert.DeserializeObject<OwmlConfig>(json);
+            var config = GetJsonObject<OwmlConfig>("OWML.Config.json");
             config.OWMLPath = AppDomain.CurrentDomain.BaseDirectory;
             return config;
         }
 
+        private static IModManifest GetOwmlManifest()
+        {
+            return GetJsonObject<ModManifest>("OWML.Manifest.json");
+        }
+
+        private static T GetJsonObject<T>(string filename)
+        {
+            var json = File.ReadAllText(filename)
+                .Replace("\\\\", "/")
+                .Replace("\\", "/");
+            return JsonConvert.DeserializeObject<T>(json);
+        }
+
     }
 }
diff --git a/createrelease.bat b/createrelease.bat
index 602c37455..858f2a6ca 100644
--- a/createrelease.bat
+++ b/createrelease.bat
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ copy "OWML.Patcher\bin\Debug\OWML.Patcher.dll" "Release\OWML.Patcher.dll"
 copy "OWML.ModLoader\bin\Debug\OWML.ModLoader.dll" "Release\OWML.ModLoader.dll"
 copy "OWML.Launcher\bin\Debug\OWML.Launcher.exe" "Release\OWML.Launcher.exe"
 copy "OWML.Launcher\bin\Debug\OWML.Config.json" "Release\OWML.Config.json"
+copy "OWML.Launcher\bin\Debug\OWML.Manifest.json" "Release\OWML.Manifest.json"
 copy "OWML.Patcher\dnpatch\dnpatch.dll" "Release\dnpatch.dll"
 copy "OWML.Patcher\dnpatch\dnlib.dll" "Release\dnlib.dll"
 copy "OWML.Patcher\VR\*" "Release\VR\"